Since canines first joined humans around the fire—perhaps as far back as 100,000 years ago—the two species have enjoyed a mutually rewarding relationship. The bond between people and their dogs is like no other. Dogs are our best friends, our co-workers, our guardians, and often, our rescuers. They serve us, adore us, entertain us, work for and with us, but most of all they warm our hearts. The perfect gift for any dog lover, The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told is a compulsively readable collection of some of the most moving and illuminating stories ever penned on the subject of our canine companions. Readers will find selections from renowned writers of the genre such as Jack London, James Thurber, and Willie Morris, as well as a few surprise contributions from writers more famous in other fields, including Ray Bradbury and Thomas Mann. With gems from Will Rogers, P. G. Wodehouse, Peter Mayle, Stephen J. Bodio, and many others, The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told is hard to put down. In the thirty-six stories in this fascinating collection, dog lovers will have the pleasure of meeting all kinds of canines—sled dogs, herding dogs, hunting and birding dogs, family pets and movie stars, a dog who was a growing boy's best friend, and even a man who was a dog in another life. These dogs will make readers laugh and make them cry, but most of all they will make them realize just why humans adore their dogs.

For sled dog–racing fans worldwide, the most important calendar day is the first Saturday in March, when teams convene for the start of mushing’s Superbowl—the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®. Every year, as it has since 1973, this ultimate challenge begins in the state’s most populated city, Anchorage, and then dives into the Alaska Bush on a historic trail that wends over mountain ranges, along frozen rivers, and onto the Bering Sea ice. The finish line lies 1,000-plus miles away in Nome, beneath a giant, burled archway. There, dogs and their drivers are greeted by masses of locals, vacationing fans, officials, media, and other mushers who intimately know what that team has just endured. To simply finish is the goal for entrants; to win is the accomplishment of a rare few. Indeed, more people have climbed Mount Everest than have finished the Iditarod®.